# 2024 Tennessee State Tigers football team

The 2024 Tennessee State Tigers football team represented Tennessee State University as a member of the Big South–OVC Football Association during the 2024 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Tigers were led by fourth-year head coach Eddie George, and played their home games at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.

## Preseason
### Preseason poll

The Big South-OVC Conference released their preseason poll on July 17, 2024. The Tigers were picked to finish fourth in the conference.
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | UT Martin | 61 (5) |
| 2 | Eastern Illinois | 53 (2) |
| 3 | Southeast Missouri State | 51 (2) |
| 4 | Tennessee State | 41 |
| 5 | Gardner-Webb | 40 |
| 6 | Charleston Southern | 27 |
| 7 | Tennessee Tech | 24 |
| 8 | Lindenwood | 18 |
| 9 | Western Illinois | 9 |

### Transfers
#### Outgoing

| Player | Position | New school |
| Thomas Nance | DL | Bethune–Cookman |
| Terrell Allen | DL | Tulane |
| Romello Watson | OL | Georgia State |
| Monroe Beard III | LB | Marshall |
| Jahee Blake | WR | Norfolk State |
| Rayqwon Smith | DL | North Alabama |
| Bryce Phillips | DB | San Diego State |
| Nicholas Green | OL | San Diego State |
| Demeatric Crenshaw | QB | Slippery Rock |
| Canen Adrian | WR | Stephen F. Austin |
| Jashon Watkins | DB | UMass |
| Jalen Rouse | RB | Unknown |
| Jeremiah Josephs | S | Unknown |

#### Incoming

| Player | Position | Previous school |
| Saidou Ba | OL | Arkansas State |
| CJ Evans Jr. | RB | Austin Peay |
| Gerard Bullock | TE | Austin Peay |
| Aiden Smith | WR | Bryant |
| Kierron Smith | DL | Georgia Southern |
| JayT Jackson | DB | Georgia State |
| Will Jones | OL | Grambling State |
| Anthony Smith | OL | Iowa State |
| Yirayah LaNier | DL | Louisville |
| George Hamsley | QB | LSU |
| Tevin Carter | QB | Memphis |
| Mark Shenouda | P | Memphis |
| Meonta Kimbrough | DL | Memphis |
| Tyler Jones | DB | Missouri |
| Marvin Atuatasi | OL | Morgan State |
| Blake Gamez | OL | Northern Arizona |
| Keandre Booker | LB | Southeast Missouri State |
| Camani Cobbs | DB | Southeast Missouri State |
| Exavious Reed | TE | Southern Miss |
| Kaderris Roberts | RB | Stetson |
| Connor Meadows | OL | Tennessee |
| Malik Ganaway | DB | Tennessee |
| Camron Douglas | DL | Tennessee |
| Jalal Dean | WR | Tennessee Tech |
| Kheagian Heckaman | TE | UTEP |
| Jackson Foster | K | Western Michigan |

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 31 | 5:00 p.m. | Mississippi Valley State* | | Nissan StadiumNashville, TN | ESPN+ | W 41–21 | 8,124 |
| September 7 | 2:30 p.m. | at No. 2 North Dakota State* | | FargodomeFargo, ND | ESPN+ | L 3–52 | 16,811 |
| September 14 | 6:00 p.m. | vs. Arkansas–Pine Bluff* | | Simmons Bank Liberty StadiumMemphis, TN (Southern Heritage Classic) | HBCU GO | W 41–28 | 27,584 |
| September 21 | 1:30 p.m. | at Tennessee Tech | | Tucker StadiumCookeville, TN (Sgt. York Trophy) | ESPN+ | L 14–24 | 8,019 |
| September 28 | 5:00 p.m. | Charleston Southern | | Nissan StadiumNashville, TN | ESPN+ | W 13–9 | 1,853 |
| October 5 | 1:00 p.m. | at Lindenwood | | Harlen C. Hunter StadiumSt. Charles, MO | ESPN+ | W 24–20 | 3,103 |
| October 12 | 5:00 p.m. | Eastern Illinois | | Nissan StadiumNashville, TN | ESPN+ | W 41–17 | 7,875 |
| October 19 | 2:30 p.m. | at Howard* | | William H. Greene StadiumWashington, D.C. | ESPN+ | W 27–14 | 9,995 |
| November 2 | 5:00 p.m. | UT Martin | No. 25 | Nissan StadiumNashville, TN (Sgt. York Trophy) | ESPN+ | L 21–28 | 2,845 |
| November 9 | 1:00 p.m. | at Western Illinois | | Hanson FieldMacomb, IL | ESPN+ | W 45–20 | 1,459 |
| November 16 | 3:00 p.m. | at Gardner–Webb | | Ernest W. Spangler StadiumBoiling Springs, NC | ESPN+ | W 23–20 | 3,763 |
| November 23 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 12 Southeast Missouri State | | Nissan StadiumNashville, TN | ESPN+ | W 28–21 | 1,536 |
| November 30 | 9:15 p.m. | No. 13 Montana | No. 21 | Washington–Grizzly StadiumMissoula, MT (NCAA Division I First Round) | ESPN2 | L 27–41 | 12,479 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central time ||||||||

## Game summaries
### vs Mississippi Valley State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Delta Devils | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 21 |
| Tigers | 21 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 41 |
at Nissan Stadium • Nashville, TN
* Date: August 31, 2024
* Game time: 5:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 87 °F (31 °C)
* Game attendance: 8,124
* Referee: Jeremee Tate
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Dan Laing, Chris Sanders
| Statistics | MVSU | TNST |
| First downs | 16 | 21 |
| Total yards | 264 | 495 |
| Rushing yards | 69 | 138 |
| Passing yards | 195 | 357 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 13–23–1 | 22–34–1 |
| Time of possession | 30:10 | 29:50 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Mississippi Valley State | Passing | Jaydyn Sisk | 7/10, 110 yards, 1 TD |
| Mississippi Valley State | Rushing | Zamariyon Kendall | 12 carries, 26 yards |
| Mississippi Valley State | Receiving | Nathan Rembert | 4 receptions, 81 yards, 1 TD |
| Tennessee State | Passing | Draylen Ellis | 21/33, 356 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT |
| Tennessee State | Rushing | Jaden McGill | 7 carries, 41 yards |
| Tennessee State | Receiving | Jalal Dean | 9 receptions, 144 yards, 1 TD |

### at No. 2 North Dakota State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Tigers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| No. 2 Bison | 14 | 21 | 3 | 14 | 52 |
at Fargodome • Fargo, ND
* Date: September 7, 2024
* Game time: 2:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Indoors, 70 °F (21 °C)
* Game attendance: 16,811
* Referee: David Hergert
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Dom Izzo, Kyle Emanuel, Sam Goetzinger
| Statistics | TNST | NDSU |
| First downs | 12 | 21 |
| Total yards | 200 | 436 |
| Rushing yards | 72 | 226 |
| Passing yards | 128 | 210 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 17–25–0 | 17–23–1 |
| Time of possession | 29:46 | 30:14 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Tennessee State | Passing | Draylen Ellis | 17/25, 128 yards |
| Tennessee State | Rushing | Draylen Ellis | 11 carries, 27 yards |
| Tennessee State | Receiving | Jalal Dean | 3 receptions, 51 yards |
| North Dakota State | Passing | Cam Miller | 14/18, 181 yards, 3 TD |
| North Dakota State | Rushing | Nathan Hayes | 1 carry, 51 yards, TD |
| North Dakota State | Receiving | Bryce Lance | 7 receptions, 106 yards, 2 TD |

### vs Arkansas-Pine Bluff

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Golden Lions | 7 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 28 |
| Tigers | 10 | 21 | 7 | 3 | 41 |
at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium • Memphis, TN
* Date: September 14, 2024
* Game time: 6:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny
* Game attendance: 27,584
* Referee: Y.N. Myers
* TV announcers (HBCU GO): Charlie Neal (play-by-play), Jon Kelley (analyst) and Lawrencia Moten (sideline)
| Statistics | UAPB | TNST |
| First downs | 16 | 24 |
| Total yards | 329 | 424 |
| Rushing yards | 53 | 196 |
| Passing yards | 276 | 228 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 15–31–0 | 20–33–0 |
| Time of possession | 25:25 | 31:37 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Arkansas–Pine Bluff | Passing | Mekhi Hagens | 15/31, 276 yards, 3 TD |
| Arkansas–Pine Bluff | Rushing | Oshawn Ross | 16 carries, 51 yards, TD |
| Arkansas–Pine Bluff | Receiving | JaVonnie Gibson | 5 receptions, 149 yards, TD |
| Tennessee State | Passing | Draylen Ellis | 20/33, 228 yards, 3 TD |
| Tennessee State | Rushing | CJ Evans | 9 carries, 63 yards, TD |
| Tennessee State | Receiving | Bryant Williams | 5 receptions, 88 yards |

### at Tennessee Tech

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Tigers | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Golden Eagles | 14 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
at Tucker Stadium • Cookeville, TN
* Date: September 21, 2024
* Game time: 1:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Cloudy, 88 °F (31 °C)
* Game attendance: 8,019
* Referee: Branden McCain
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Dylan Vazzano, Sam Brooks
| Statistics | TNST | TNTC |
| First downs | 14 | 15 |
| Total yards | 246 | 314 |
| Rushing yards | 0 | 220 |
| Passing yards | 246 | 94 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 22–39–2 | 12–25–1 |
| Time of possession | 30:00 | 30:00 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Tennessee State | Passing | Draylen Ellis | 22/39, 246 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT |
| Tennessee State | Rushing | CJ Evans | 6 carries, 14 yards |
| Tennessee State | Receiving | Karate Brenson | 9 receptions, 99 yards |
| Tennessee Tech | Passing | Jordyn Potts | 12/25, 94 yds, 1 INT |
| Tennessee Tech | Rushing | Obie Sanni | 6 carries, 75 yards, 1 TD |
| Tennessee Tech | Receiving | D.J. Linkins | 4 receptions, 39 yards |

### vs Charleston Southern

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
| Tigers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 13 |
at Nissan Stadium • Nashville,TN
* Date: September 28, 2024
* Game time: 5:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Rain, 67 °F (19 °C)
* Game attendance: 1,853
* Referee: Drew Myers
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Dan Laing, Chris Sanders
| Statistics | CHSO | TNST |
| First downs | 17 | 11 |
| Total yards | 309 | 206 |
| Rushing yards | 219 | 101 |
| Passing yards | 90 | 105 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 4–12–0 | 12–25–0 |
| Time of possession | 41:29 | 18:31 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Charleston Southern | Passing | Kaleb Jackson | 4/12, 90 yards |
| Charleston Southern | Rushing | Autavius Ison | 33 carries, 157 yards |
| Charleston Southern | Receiving | Chris Rhone | 2 receptions, 39 yards |
| Tennessee State | Passing | Draylen Ellis | 12/24, 105 yards, 1 TD |
| Tennessee State | Rushing | Jordan Gant | 5 carries, 40 yards, 1 TD |
| Tennessee State | Receiving | Bryant Williams | 5 receptions, 49 yards, 1 TD |

### at Lindenwood

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Tigers | 7 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 24 |
| Lions | 14 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
at Harlen C. Hunter Stadium • St. Charles, MO
* Date: October 5, 2024
* Game time: 1:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 84 °F (29 °C)
* Game attendance: 3,103
* Referee: Matthew Jones
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Bob Ramsey, Zach Zook, Jacob Stanoch
| Statistics | TNST | LIN |
| First downs | 15 | 14 |
| Total yards | 285 | 280 |
| Rushing yards | 89 | 181 |
| Passing yards | 196 | 99 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 14–26–1 | 11–20–0 |
| Time of possession | 31:33 | 28:27 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Tennessee State | Passing | Draylen Ellis | 14/26, 196 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Tennessee State | Rushing | Jaden McGill | 15 carries, 63 yards |
| Tennessee State | Receiving | CJ Evans | 3 receptions, 74 yards, 1 TD |
| Lindenwood | Passing | Nate Glantz | 11/20, 99 yards, 1 TD |
| Lindenwood | Rushing | Steve Hall | 7 carries, 67 yards |
| Lindenwood | Receiving | Jeff Caldwell | 3 receptions, 45 yards, 1 TD |

### vs Eastern Illinois

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Tigers | 0 | 20 | 14 | 7 | 41 |
at Nissan Stadium • Nashville, TN
* Date: October 12, 2024
* Game time: 5:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny
* Game attendance: 10,715
* Referee: Michael Lennie
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Dan Laing, Chris Sanders
| Statistics | EIU | TNST |
| First downs | 23 | 20 |
| Total yards | 435 | 365 |
| Rushing yards | 75 | 128 |
| Passing yards | 360 | 237 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 30–51–1 | 21–33–0 |
| Time of possession | 31:54 | 28:06 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Eastern Illinois | Passing | Pierce Holley | 28/46, 338 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Eastern Illinois | Rushing | MJ Flowers | 21 carries, 57 yards, 1 TD |
| Eastern Illinois | Receiving | Cooper Willman | 8 receptions, 141 yards |
| Tennessee State | Passing | Draylen Ellis | 20/32, 224 yards, 4 TD |
| Tennessee State | Rushing | Jaden McGill | 9 carries, 47 yards |
| Tennessee State | Receiving | Karate Brenson | 6 receptions, 121 yards, 1 TD |

### at Howard

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Tigers | 7 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 27 |
| Bison | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
at William H. Greene Stadium • Washington, D.C.
* Date: October 19, 2024
* Game time: 2:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 73 °F (23 °C)
* Game attendance: 9,995
* Referee: Jason Soistman
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Lynell Willingham, Melissa Kim
| Statistics | TNST | HOW |
| First downs | 16 | 14 |
| Total yards | 412 | 209 |
| Rushing yards | 123 | 176 |
| Passing yards | 289 | 33 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 19–30–0 | 6–22–2 |
| Time of possession | 35:19 | 24:41 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Tennessee State | Passing | Draylen Ellis | 19/30, 289 yards |
| Tennessee State | Rushing | Jaden McGill | 14 carries, 43 yards, 1 TD |
| Tennessee State | Receiving | Karate Brenson | 5 receptions, 153 yards |
| Howard | Passing | Ja'Shawn Scroggins | 6/21, 33 yards, 2 INT |
| Howard | Rushing | Jarett Hunter | 15 carries, 102 yards, 1 TD |
| Howard | Receiving | Breylin Smith | 4 receptions, 15 yards |

### vs UT Martin

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Skyhawks | 21 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
| No. 25 Tigers | 14 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
at Nissan Stadium • Nashville, TN
* Date: November 2, 2024
* Game time: 5:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 72 °F (22 °C)
* Game attendance: 2,845
* Referee: Zach Erdmann
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Dan Laing, Chris Sanders
| Statistics | UTM | TNST |
| First downs | 22 | 25 |
| Total yards | 370 | 354 |
| Rushing yards | 104 | 42 |
| Passing yards | 266 | 312 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 18–27–1 | 33–54–2 |
| Time of possession | 30:35 | 29:25 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| UT Martin | Passing | Kinkead Dent | 18/27, 266 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT |
| UT Martin | Rushing | Patrick Smith | 16 carries, 73 yards |
| UT Martin | Receiving | Tyler Dostin | 4 receptions, 87 yards |
| Tennessee State | Passing | Draylen Ellis | 33/53, 153 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| Tennessee State | Rushing | Draylen Ellis | 5 carries, 29 yards |
| Tennessee State | Receiving | Jalal Dean | 11 receptions, 118 yards, 1 TD |

### at Western Illinois

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Tigers | 14 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 45 |
| Leathernecks | 0 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
at Hanson Field • Macomb, IL
* Date: November 9, 2024
* Game time: 1:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Rain, 56 °F (13 °C)
* Game attendance: 1,459
* Referee: Michael Frain
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Russ Eisenstein, Cannon Wynkoop, Caden Kratz
| Statistics | TNST | WIU |
| First downs | 23 | 27 |
| Total yards | 376 | 432 |
| Rushing yards | 188 | 148 |
| Passing yards | 188 | 284 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 12–19–1 | 27–50–1 |
| Time of possession | 27:02 | 27:16 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Tennessee State | Passing | Draylen Ellis | 12/19, 188 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| Tennessee State | Rushing | Tevin Carter | 8 carries, 51 yards, 2 TD |
| Tennessee State | Receiving | Bryant Williams | 3 receptions, 56 yards, 1 TD |
| Western Illinois | Passing | Nathan Lamb | 24/45, 266 yds, 1 TD |
| Western Illinois | Rushing | Nathan Lamb | 13 carries, 74 yards, 1 TD |
| Western Illinois | Receiving | Demari Davis | 2 receptions, 62 yards |

### at Gardner-Webb

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Tigers | 13 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 23 |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 2 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 20 |
at Ernest W. Spangler Stadium •Boiling Springs, NC
* Date: November 16, 2024
* Game time: 3:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 60 °F (16 °C)
* Game attendance: 3,763
* Referee: Drew Myers
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Justin Biegel, Jack DeLongchamps
| Statistics | TNST | GWEB |
| First downs | 19 | 18 |
| Total yards | 363 | 333 |
| Rushing yards | 143 | 126 |
| Passing yards | 220 | 207 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 18–31–0 | 19–43–1 |
| Time of possession | 32:19 | 27:41 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Tennessee State | Passing | Draylen Ellis | 18/28, 220 yds, 2 TD |
| Tennessee State | Rushing | Jaden McGill | 15 carries, 100 yards, 1 TD |
| Tennessee State | Receiving | Karate Brenson | 8 receptions, 82 yards |
| Gardner–Webb | Passing | Tyler Ridell | 19/43, 207 yds, 1 INT |
| Gardner–Webb | Rushing | Edward Saydee | 18 carries, 68 yards, 1 TD |
| Gardner–Webb | Receiving | Camden Overton | 7 receptions, 74 yards |

### vs No. 12 Southeast Missouri State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 12 Redhawks | 0 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Tigers | 21 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
at Nissan Stadium • Nashville, TN
* Date: November 23, 2024
* Game time: 3:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 53 °F (12 °C)
* Game attendance: 1,536
* Referee: Brad Carrell
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Dan Laing, Chris Sanders
| Statistics | SEMO | TNST |
| First downs | 18 | 19 |
| Total yards | 308 | 347 |
| Rushing yards | 75 | 115 |
| Passing yards | 233 | 232 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 27–47–0 | 20–32–0 |
| Time of possession | 28:17 | 31:43 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Southeast Missouri State | Passing | Paxton DeLaurent | 27/46, 233 yards, 2 TD |
| Southeast Missouri State | Rushing | Payton Brown | 10 carries, 45 yards, 1 TD |
| Southeast Missouri State | Receiving | Tristan Smith | 8 receptions, 70 yards |
| Tennessee State | Passing | Draylen Ellis | 20/31, 232 yards, 2 TD |
| Tennessee State | Rushing | Jaden McGill | 18 carries, 73 yards |
| Tennessee State | Receiving | CJ Evans | 6 receptions, 107 yards, 1 TD |

### at No. 13 Montana (NCAA Division I Playoff–First Round)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 21 Tigers | 3 | 0 | 10 | 14 | 27 |
| No. 13 Grizzlies | 3 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 41 |
at Washington–Grizzly Stadium • Missoula, MT
* Date: Saturday November 30, 2024
* Game time: 9:15 p.m.
* Game weather: Clear, 32 °F (0 °C)
* Game attendance: 12,479
* Referee: David Hergert
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Roxy Bernstein (play-by-play) and Jay Walker (analyst)
| Statistics | TNST | MONT |
| First downs | 18 | 19 |
| Total yards | 310 | 369 |
| Rushing yards | 14 | 254 |
| Passing yards | 296 | 115 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 29–39–1 | 12–23–0 |
| Time of possession | 29:48 | 30:12 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Tennessee State | Passing | Draylen Ellis | 29/39, 296 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| Tennessee State | Rushing | CJ Evans | 6 carries, 26 yards |
| Tennessee State | Receiving | Karate Brenson | 11 receptions, 122 yards, 2 TD |
| Montana | Passing | Logan Fife | 11/22, 97 yards |
| Montana | Rushing | Eli Gillman | 20 carries, 136 yards, 2 TD |
| Montana | Receiving | Sawyer Racanelli | 2 receptions, 35 yards |